While Nintendo has done many great things with its numerous IPs, especially during the Switch era, there have been a few that haven’t gotten “the tap” to get anything new or truly meaningful. One of those franchises happens to feature one of Nintendo’s fan-favorite characters in Captain Falcon. He’s been with the company since some of its earliest days and is a key member of its fighting game franchise. Yet, he hasn’t gotten a new game in a long time. However, today, two titles from the F-Zero lineup have come to Nintendo Switch Online via the Expansion Pack. So, if you haven’t had a chance to try them, or you’re just feeling nostalgic, now is your chance to enjoy these experiences.
As you’ll see in the tweet below, the games in question are F-Zero Climax and GP Legend, which were born in the Game Boy Advance era. That’s important to note because these were the last games made in the franchise, and as another fan pointed out, that also means there’s just one more title in the lineup before everything can be found on Nintendo Switch. The second title we mentioned is actually one that directly connects to the anime that was made starring Captain Falcon. Yes, there was an anime for the series, and it’s as nuts as you would expect.
What’s truly frustrating about this release, though, is that many people feel that now, or even a few years ago, would’ve been the perfect time to bring back Captain Falcon and his fast-paced racing franchise. After all, the Switch has been a boon for “lesser franchises” to “finally get their due” and prove they could move units.
Furthermore, many felt, based on comments from Nintendo, that one of the reasons why we might not have gotten a new entry is that The Big N didn’t want it to “conflict” with the OTHER racing series that it had. Yet, to counter that, Nintendo, within the course of one year, has released three different versions of RPG featuring Mario. So, if they’re willing to do that, why not bring back Captain Falcon’s racing game?
Plus, it should be noted that numerous elements help separate this series from Mario’s, such as the fast pace, the insane tracks that are raced on, the characters you race against, and that there is often a narrative element to the title. When you mix that with the online multiplayer that Nintendo could create here, this could be something special…if they were willing to take a chance on this franchise once more.